Label-removing machine



Aug. 22, 1939.

R. J. WYNNE 2,170,044

LABEL-REMOVING MACHINE d Aug. 19, 195

Aug- 22, 1939 y R. Jj wYNNE 2,170,044

' LABEL-REMOVING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JJ o8@ I Filed Aug. 4

Aug.22,1939. RJ, WYNNE f 2,170,044

LABEL-REMOVING MACHINE Filed Aug. v19- 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedAug. 22, 1939 UNlTED STATES iiATENT OFFICE LABEL-REMOVING MACHINEApplication August 19, 1936, Serial No. 96,756

13 Claims.

This invention relates to container cleanser machinery and moreespecially to automatic devices for removing old labels from bottles,cans and the like.

The general object of the invention is to provide a machine generally ofthe conveyor type in which the old labels may be efficiently removedfrom containers of various types, e. g., bottles, cans, jars and othersof similar character. Such a machine may be 'an independent unit or maybe closely associated with a container washing machine in which case itwould be arranged to remove the labels before introducing the containersinto the principal Washing machine.

The following described machine is adapted to remove the labelsmechanically, either with or Without the aid of a moistening agency tofirst loosen the labels from the containers.

Other incidental and relatedobjects will appear and be brought out morefully and thoroughly in the following specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing an` embodiment ofmy invention operatively associated with a container washing machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the spray means removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken along the line 3-3 of- Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional elevation taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the upper central portion o'fthe ldisclosure o-f Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly' to the drawings and especially to Fig. l, Ishow'the forward end of a container washing machine i 3 having a. tank II in ywhich is located a conveyor I2 comprising chain rlinks I3 adaptedto passover' a sprocket wheel I4 mounted on a shaft I5 suitably carriedby side walls of the tank II, and a plurality of bottle pockets I6 arecarried by the conveyor I2. The arm I'I of a bell crank is operated froma'motor, not shown, which motor also operates the conveyor I2, and astudshaft I8 is carried by the free end of armv I1.

The foregoing described. mechanism is essentially similar to that shown'and described in my patent, No. 1,981,684, and is shown and rdescribedherein to illustrate the operative connection of the label removingmachine comprisingV Imy present invention which will nowbe fullydescribed.

An extension link I9 has a tubular member 20, one end of which ispivotally secured to stud shaft I8 vand has a telescoping member 2| `thefree end of which is pivotally secured to a stud 22 mounted on a rockarm 23, which in lturn is loosely mounted on a power shaft 24, which iscarried by bearings 25 in the side walls 26 at the rear of a rectangularhousing 21. Housing 21 has front sup- 5- porting legs 28 and a pair ofgusset plates 29 by which the rear portion of the housing is secured tothe front Wall of tank I I. Housing 21 has a front wall 38, a rear wall3I and a bottom wall 32. The housing 2'I may conveniently be constructedof sheet steel or other equivalent material as may be desired. An idleshaft 33 is provided with bearings 34 by which it is mounted betweenside walls 25 at the front of housing 2l. A plurality (in the instantcase, four) of sprockets 35, are secured to shaft 24 in spaced relationto each other, and each said sprocket has a complementary front sprocket36 which may be loosely mounted on ythe shaft 33 although suitablyalined with its corresponding sprocket 35 by appropriate spacing collarson shaft 33.

A chain conveyor 3l for the bottles, the labels of which are toberemoved, having links 38, is provided for each pair of sprockets 35 and36, and advancing lingers 39 are suitably secured to designated links ofchain 31, successive fingers 39 being spaced along the chain 3l theappropriate distance necessary to advance the containers of the size forwhich the machine has been designed. A ratchet wheel 40 is secured onshaft 24 and has a plurality of ratchet teeth 4I. A pawl 42 is arrangedon stud 22 for engagement with ratchet teeth 4I, the foregoing describedmechanism being such that the reciprocation of link I9 will cause thepawl 42 to -advance the ratchet wheel 48 an angular distance equal tofour ratchet teeth, or a quarter turn, which movement will advance chainconveyor 3l the distance equalto four links thus bringing each advancinglinger 39 to the position previously occupied by the immediate precedingadvancing finger thus advancing a bottle or a container the distanceequal to the length or height of such container, as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

Each conveyor chain 3l is provided with a supporting track bar 43mounted between side rails of a cross supporting plate 44, which, inturn, is secured to the side walls 26. Plate 44 has a large centralrectangular opening 45 for a purpose which will be more apparenthereinafter. 50

Pairs of bearing blocks 46 are integrally formed in the front and rearside members of cross plate 44, the forward bearing blocks 46 beingadapted to support the rear ends of a plurality of forward guide rods4l, the forward ends of which are connected to the front wall supportingplate 48. Guide rods 41, of which I show four in cooperative relationwith each conveyor chain 31, are adapted to form a support for and guidethe advancing movement of the containers, the labels of which are to beremoved by the mechanism of my present invention. The said guide rods 41are so arranged as to provide a channel or trough to appropriately guidethe containers as aforesaid. A similar set of rear guide rods 49 aresecured at their forward ends by a rear bearing block 46 and each has adownwardly inclined portion 50, the far end of which is secured to abracket member 5I secured to the rear wall 3 I, the channel formed by 1each set of rear guide rods 49 being alined with a swinging chute 52pivoted on the front wall of tank II, which is described in detail inthe aforementioned patent, No, 1,981,684.

A plurality of idle and support rollers 53 are pivotally mounted inpairs of bearing blocks 46, rollers 53 being preferably of hard rubberor a similar material adapted to have a slight amount of resiliency inorder that the containers may not be broken or injured if of glass orother frangible material, A floating frame 54 is provided for mountingthe bottle rotating rollers and scrapers, to be described more fullyhereinafter and has a top front rail 55 and a top rear rail 56, rail 56having an upper guide apron 56a for a purpose to be explainedhereinafter. Between top rails 55 and 56 are a plurality of intermediatetransverse tie rails 51 and a pair of outer tie rails 58. A pair offront side rails 59 are secured to top rails 55 and 56 and a similarpair of rear side rails 68 are secured to top rear rails. A flangemember 6| is secured at each side of the floating frame 54 to the siderails 59 and 68 and a pair of Z-bars 62 are secured on each side Wall 26and serve to position floating frame 54 substantially at the center ofthe housing 21, the Z-bars being adapted to engage said members 6|. Apair of angle iron members 63 are secured at the bottom of vertical siderails 59 and 6D and provide a support for a bracket 64 which supports amotor base 65, which, in turn, is provided with a plurality of threadedposts 66 on which a motor 81 is adjustably mounted, the motor having theusual power shaft 68 and a sprocket 69 mounted thereon. A continuouschain 10 driven by sprocket 89 of the motor 61 is carried over lowerguide sprockets 1| on rear side rails 60 and over upper guide sprockets12 at the top of side rails 60. A plurality of shafts 13 are mountedbetween top rails 55 and 56 and each said shaft carries a frictionroller 14, preferably of rub@ ber or like material. A sprocket 15 issecured at the rear end of each shaft 13 and is operable by chain 16,the guide apron 56a serving to retain chain 1D against sprockets 15. Abracket 16 is integrally formed with or secured to each tie rail 58 anda roller 11 is pivotally mounted on bracket 16. A pair of sprocketwheels 18 are fixed on power shaft 24 adjacent the ends thereof and apair of idle sprockets 19 are similarly positioned 82 and shoe members83, the latter having in` clined surfaces 84, pairs of shoes 83 forminga V between pairs of shos 82, the inclined surfaces 84 the uppersurfaces of the shoes 82 and 83 and being depressed when the roller 11drops into the V depressions of the inclined surfaces 84. Chains 80 areeach supported between the sprockets by a track bar member 88a supportedat the ends thereof by the side rails of cross supporting plate 44. Aplurality of spring held Scrapers 85 are mounted on intermediate top tierails 51 and each scraper construction, preferably of spring steel, hasa sharp knife edge 86 which may be presented against the surface of abottle or container 81 having a label 38 or other foreign ma terial onthe outer cylindrical surface thereof which it is desired to haveremoved by the operation of the herein described mechanism.

Below the conveyors 31 is located a removable porous pan or screen 89which is slidably removable from its position on a pair of guide members90, a hinged door 9| being located in front wall 38 adjacent pan 89.

As an optional feature I show a water supply line 92 leading to adischarge pipe 93 which leads into a plurality of spray nozzles 94located over the region of the Scrapers 85, a quantity of dischargedwater from the washing tank Il being passed therethrough and controlledby valve 95 to facilitate the softening of the labels or other foreignmaterial on the containers or to assist in carrying off the displacedlabels to the pan 89. A drain pipe 96 is provided in the bottom ofhousing 21 and has a control valve 91 therefor.

The operation of my invention should be clear from the foregoingdescription. It will be understood that motor 81 operates continuouslyand rotates rollers 14 continuously, likewise, by chain 10. Theconveyors 31 and elevating chains 88 will be advanced intermittently bythe action of shaft 24 being actuated by ratchet 40 and pawl 42. Thebottles or the containers are placed on the conveyors at the forward endof the machine, or more particularly, on the guide rods 41 and advancedby the conveyors and advancing fingers 39 to the position shown in Fig.1, the containers resting on idle rollers 53. During this movement theiloating frame 54, carrying the upper rollers 14, is held in the upperposition by the rollers 11 being on the parallel portions of shoes 82 or83 so that sufficient space is provided for the containers 81 to bebrought into position under Scrapers 85. When the elevator chains 80have been advanced to the position shown in Fig. 3, at which positionthey come to rest under the action of the ratchet 40 and pawl 42, thefloating frame 54 will be lowered by the action of the rollers 11 beingdropped into the V-groove formed in shoes 83. The friction rollers 14will thereupon contact the sides of the containers 81 and cause them torotate, and, at the same time, the knife edges 86 of the scrapers 85will be brought against the surface of the containers 81 producing acutting or scraping action resulting in the removal of any foreignmatter, such as labels 88, that may adhere to the cylindrical exteriorof the containers. This material will be caused to drop between therollers and be caught in screen pan 89 from which it may be removed atintervals as it collects therein. This action may be facilitated by theuse of discharge water spray from nozzles 94 as desired. However, thisprocess may not be found necessary under all circumstances. After thescraping operation has been completed and the next cycle of movement ofthe conveyors is effected by the action of the reciprocating link I9 thefloating frame will be elevated and the containers ad- Vancely to rearguide `rods 49 by the conveyors desired.

While I have shown my preferred form of construction I do no-t wish tobe limited to the details herein shown and described, but wish to availmyself of all the variations coming within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In container cleansing machines, means to remo-ve foreign matter fromthe outside of the containers, said means including a straight edgedscraper element adapted to engage and remove said foreign matter, androtary cam-operated means adapted to eect the engagement of said scraperelement with said foreign matter said rotary means including a pluralityof rollers adapted to rotate the containers.

2. In container cleansing machines, means to remove foreign matter fromthe outside of the containers, said means including a straight edgedscraper element adapted to engage and remove said foreign matter, androtary means ladapted to effect the engagement of said scraper elementwith said foreign matter said rotary means including a plurality ofrollers adapted to rotate the containers, and a conveyor adapted toconvey the containers into and out of position for engagement with saidscraper element said conveyor having means coacting therewith adapted todisengage said scraper from said containers to effect the substitutionof unscraped containers for said scraped containers.

3. In container cleansing machines having an intermittently movingconveyor for containers, means to remove foreign matter from the outsideof said containers, said means including a straight edged scraper, avertically reciprocating frame adapted to support said scraper, aplurality of container drive rollers and drivingy means thereforemounted on said frame, a cam roller on said frame, and cam means adaptedto reciprocate s-aid'frame, whereby to effect engagement of said driverollers and scraper with said con,- tainers when said conveyor isstationary.

fi. In container cleansing machines having an intermittently movingconveyor for containers, means to remove foreign matter from the outsideof said containers, said means including a straight vedged scraper, avertically reciprocating frame adapted to support said scraper, aplurality of container drive rollers and driving means therefor mountedon said frame, a cam roller on said rama'and cam means adapted toreciprocate said frame, whereby to eiect engagement of said driverollers and scraper with said containers when said conveyor isstationary, and to effect disengagement thereof when said conveyor ismoving.

5. In container cleansing machines having an intermittently movingconveyor for containers, means to remove foreign matter from the outsideof said containers, said means including a knife edged scraper, avertically reciprocating frame adapted to support said scraper, aplurality of container drive rollers and driving means therefore mountedon said frame, a cam roller on said frame, and cam means adapted toreciprocate said frame, whereby to'eifect engagement of said driverollers and scraper with said containers when said conveyor isstationary, :and to veffect dise'ngage'ment thereof when said conveyoris moving.

6. combination with a container cleansing `machine having means to wash`-the containers and having container receiving means intermittentlyplaced into receiving position; means to remove foreign matter fro-m theoutside of the body portions of the containers, said means including anedged scraper element adapted to `engage said foreign mattersubstantially tangentialiy to the containers, means to effect positiveinterengagement of said scraper element with said foreign matter, meansto feed the containers into position for engagement by the scraperelement in timed relation to the movement of the container receivingvmeans of the cleansing machine into? receiving positie-n, means tocause the intermittent disengagement of the scraper ,elements from thecontainers, and means. leading to the container receiving means of thecleansing machine to intermittently discharge the containers into thesame after removal of the foreign matter.

'7. The combination with a label removing machine having a conveyor forreceiving containers and guide means associated therewith; a containercleansing machine having container receiving means and associated withthe label removing machine, means to intermittently place the containerreceiving means. of the cleansing machine in position to receive thecontainers: from the guide means, a floating frame associated with theconveyor having a scraper adapted to be moved into engagement withthefcontainersl when the conveyor is stationary, means associated withthe frame for revolving the containers at such times to remove labels orother foreign matter therefrom prior to intermittent discharge into thecontainer receiving means of the cleansing machine and means forreceiving said labels and foreign matter so removed.

8. In a label removing machine, intermittently movable conveyors adaptedto receive the containers, a. floating frame, scrapers carried by theframe adapted to engage and remove labels from the containers, meanscarried by the frame adapted to be moved into and out of engagement withthe containers for revolving the same, meansy independent of the framefor actuating the same, and means for discharging the containers.

9. In a label removing machine, intermittently movable conveyors adaptedto receive the containers, a floating frame, scrapers carried by theframe adapted to engage and remove labels from the containers, meanscarried by the frame adapted to be moved into and out of engagement withthe containers for revolving the same, cam-operated means operablesimultaneously with the conveyor for causing movement ofthe frame, thescrapers and container revolving means toward and away from thecontainers, means carried by the frame for operating said revolvingmeans, discharge means for the conveyors and intermittently operatedreceiving means for receiving the containers from the discharge means.

l0. In a label removing machine, intermittently movable conveyorsadapted to receive the containers, a floating frame, scrapers carried bythe frame adapted to engage and remove labels from the containers, meanscarried by the frame adapted to be moved into and out of engagement withthe containers for revolving the same, cam-operated means operablesimultaneously with the conveyors for causing movement of the frame,

the scrapers and container revolving means toward and away from thecontainers, means carried by the frame for operating said revolvingmeans, fluid supply means above the scrapers, and receiving and drainingmeans for the scraped labels beneath said parts.

11. The combination with container receiving means; intermittent drivingmeans therefor to advance the containers thereon, means for revolvingsaid containers at times, means for scraping the containers when therevolving means is active, and means for guiding the containers tointermittently discharge the same as advanced.

12. The combination with container receiving f means; intermittentdriving means `therefor to advance the containers thereon, means forrevolving said containers at times, means for scraping the containerswhen the revolving means is active, driving means for the revolvingmeans,

2 0 and means on the container receiving means for holding thecontainers against axial movement while being scraped and moving thecontainers into and out of scraping position upon actuation of theadvancing means and constituting a part of the latter.

13. The combination With a container cleansing machine having containerreceiving elements and means for intermittently advancing the same; alabel removing means including conveyors for receiving the containershaving means to engage tlle containers for advancing the same andoperative connection With the intermittent advancing means rstmentioned, means for revolving the containers at intervals, scrapersmoved to engage and remove the labels from the containers when revolved,and cam-operated means actuated with the conveyors for rendering therevolving means and scrapers operative and inoperative.

ROBERT J. WYNNE.

